Sierra Leone Officials Facilitated Illegal Mansion Building in National Park

• An investigation reveals scores of illegal luxury mansions built in Sierra Leone's Western Area Peninsula National Park, an environmental buffer for Freetown.
• Senior government officials, including former Minister Denis Sandy, facilitated land ownership documents for construction within the protected area, despite a ban.
• The government's own investigation, commissioned by President Julius Maada Bio, found widespread deforestation and warned of an "environmental time bomb" and potential "water shortage crisis."
• Despite the report's findings and presidential promises, construction continues, and no significant action or punishment has been publicly announced against implicated officials.
• Many mansion owners are government officials, highlighting a systemic issue where powerful individuals are allowed to bypass laws, threatening Freetown's water supply and increasing landslide risks.